Fire damages historic Mississippi synagogue, suspect arrested

Congregants and leaders vowed to rebuild a historical Mississippi synagogue that was heavy damaged by a occurrence aft an idiosyncratic was taken into custody for what authorities said Sunday was an enactment of arson.

The occurrence ripped done the Beth Israel Congregation successful Jackson soon aft 3 a.m. connected Saturday, authorities said. No congregants were injured successful the blaze.

Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative bureau and synagogue library, wherever respective Torahs were destroyed oregon damaged.

Authorities person not disclosed the suspect's motive, but Jackson Fire Chief Charles Felton told CBS News the FBI is looking into the anticipation of a hatred crime. Felton said helium couldn't merchandise the suspect's ID yet owed to the ongoing investigation.

Zach Shemper, president of Beth Israel Congregation, stands successful ashes extracurricular the congregation's temple hours aft the gathering was damaged by occurrence Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 successful Jackson, Miss. (Allen Siegler/Mississippi Today via AP) Allen Siegler / AP

"Acts of antisemitism, racism, and spiritual hatred are attacks connected Jackson arsenic a full and volition beryllium treated arsenic acts of panic against residents' information and state to worship," Jackson Mayor John Horhn said successful a statement. "Targeting radical due to the fact that of their faith, race, ethnicity, oregon intersexual predisposition is morally wrong, un-American, and wholly incompatible with the values of this city."

A spokesperson for the Jackson FBI told the Associated Press they are "working with instrumentality enforcement partners connected this investigation."

The synagogue, the largest successful Mississippi and the lone 1 successful Jackson, was the tract of a Ku Klux Klan bombing successful 1967 — a effect to the congregation's relation successful civilian rights activities, according to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which besides houses its bureau successful the building.

"That past reminds america that attacks connected houses of worship, immoderate their cause, onslaught astatine the bosom of our shared motivation life," said CJ Rhodes, a salient Black Baptist pastor successful Jackson, successful a Facebook post.

"This wasn't random vandalism — it was a deliberate, targeted onslaught connected the Jewish community," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of The Anti-Defamation League, said successful a statement. "That it has been attacked again, amid a surge of antisemitic incidents crossed the US, is simply a stark reminder: antisemitic unit is escalating, and it demands full condemnation and swift enactment from everyone."

FILE - This Nov. 2, 2018 photograph shows an equipped Hinds County Sheriff's lawman extracurricular of the Beth Israel Congregation synagogue successful Jackson, Miss. Rogelio V. Solis / AP

The ADL's determination section said it was successful interaction with the Beth Israel Congregation enactment and section leaders to supply enactment and resources.

"The information that this historical synagogue, which was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan successful 1967 due to the fact that of Rabbi Perry Nussbaum's civilian rights advocacy, has erstwhile again been targeted is peculiarly achy and disturbing," ADL South Central determination manager Lindsay Baach Friedmann said successful a statement.

The congregation is inactive assessing the harm and received outreach from different houses of worship, said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of the congregation. The synagogue volition proceed its regular worship programs and services for Shabbat, the play Jewish Sabbath, apt wrong of 1 of the section churches that reached out.

"We are devastated but acceptable to rebuild, and we are truthful appreciative of the outreach from the community," said Schipper.

One Torah that survived the Holocaust was down solid not damaged successful the fire, Schipper said. Five Torahs wrong the sanctuary are being assessed for fume damage. Two Torahs wrong the library, wherever the astir terrible harm was done, were destroyed, according to a synagogue representative.

The floors, walls and ceiling of the sanctuary were covered successful soot, and the synagogue volition person to regenerate upholstery and carpeting.

"A batch of times we perceive things happening passim the state successful different parts, and we consciousness similar this wouldn't hap successful our part," said main occurrence researcher Charles Felton "A batch of radical are successful disbelief that this would hap present successful Jackson, Mississippi."